Perils Of Indifference Ethos Pathos Logos

Samuel Boren
Block
English II Honors
21 April 2023
An Analysis of “The Perils of Indifference” History scholars often ask how a tragedy as egregious as the Holocaust could have possibly happened. Why didn’t anyone stand up for Jewish people? In his speech, Eliezer Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust, argues it was due to indifference. He aims to raise awareness by speaking out about this dangerous mentality. In order for any speech to accomplish this, it is important to use the principles of ethos, logos, and pathos. These types of rhetorical devices make an argument more appealing to an audience. Ethos to give the speaker credibility, logos to appeal to logic, and pathos to stir emotion. Without the proper use of these devices, an argument

In the opening sentence of his speech, Wiesel demonstrates ethos when he addresses the audience. He says, “Mr. President, Mrs. Clinton, members of Congress, Ambassador Holbrooke, friends:”(Eidenmuller). In this opening, he is addressing his audience before he begins his speech. This is an example of ethos because he addresses the audience as his friends. In doing this, he is making the audience equal to himself. He is respecting the audience, and in turn, the audience respects him. This is more appealing to the audience because Wiesel is making himself relatable. Had he left out “friends”, then the audience would not be able to relate to Wiesel as much. He again establishes ethos in the following sentence. Wiesel introduces himself to the audience. He says, “Fifty-four years ago to the day, a young Jewish boy from a small town in the Carpathian mountains woke up….”(Eidenmuller). Here, Wiesel introduces his younger self as a Jewish boy. This is an example of ethos because he is discussing the topic of World War II in his speech. Being a young Jewish man in the Second World War gives him credibility. Not only were people like Wiesel victimized, but Wiesel himself was a victim of the war. This demonstrates ethos because he has first-hand knowledge of what the war was like. If Wiesel hadn’t been around when the war happened, or if he left that out of the speech, the audience would have less reason to trust what he says about the

As a preface to the bulk of his speech, Wiesel uses logos when he defines the term “indifference”. He states, “Etymologically, the word means “no difference”. A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil”(Eidenmuller). The main topic of Wiesel’s speech is the indifference Jewish people faced during World War II. So, he first explains what indifference is. This is an example of logos because Wiesel is able to appeal to the logical side of his audience. Even though he is using terms that cater more to emotion, he is still able to explain what exactly the word means. When indifference is a core component of the entirety of Wiesel’s speech, starting with something logical will help it stick with the audience. Instead of second-guessing what indifference could mean, they’ll trust Wiesel’s definition of the word. If he chooses not to define it, the audience may be a bit more skeptical to trust what he has to say about indifference. Wiesel again uses logos when he acknowledges the refugees turned away by the United States. He says, “The depressing tale of the St. Louis is a case in point. Sixty years ago, its human cargo--nearly 1,000 Jews--was turned back to Nazi Germany”(Eidenmuller). Wiesel is describing a time when Jewish refugees had a chance to escape Nazi Germany. However, due to a lack of concern on the behalf of the